For more than six decades, the small island in New York Harbor served as America’s front door. But on November 12, 1954, Ellis Island processed its final immigrant and closed as a federal immigration station, marking the end of an era that had defined the American story.

Since its opening in 1892, more than 12 million immigrants — many from southern and eastern Europe — had passed through its gates. For countless families, Ellis Island represented both hope and hardship, offering a chance at new beginnings in the United States.

By the mid-20th century, immigration laws had changed, and air travel replaced ocean liners as the dominant mode of international arrival. Screening and processing were relocated to U.S. embassies abroad, leaving Ellis Island largely obsolete.

Its final detainee, a Norwegian seaman named Arne Peterssen, departed quietly that November day. The closure signaled a new chapter in U.S. immigration policy, one increasingly focused on regulation rather than mass arrival.

Ellis Island later became a museum and national monument, preserving the stories of millions who entered through its halls. For historians and families tracing their ancestry, the site remains a symbol of the nation’s immigrant roots.

The date — November 12 — continues to stand as a milestone in the evolution of American identity. It reminds the country of its promise to those seeking opportunity, and of the ever-changing definition of what it means to become an American.